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20Energy Hubs & Green Hydrogen

Task Managers

As a joint activity by the IEA TCP's Wind, Hydrogen and PVPS, Task 20 was developed with the goal of managing data and design information for hybrid wind-solar-hydrogen plants and to recommend the best practices for global integration taking into account location-specific factors. Moreover, it aims to identify local legal and societal challenges as well as to develop the tools to address a variety of potential concerns, thereby improving project viability.

Task 20 activities will begin in late 2024 and are organized as follows

1Subtask 1 - Project & Information Management
  • Coordinate the data collection and overview of the state-of-the-art technology in hybrid, green hydrogen plants; its research, field trials, demonstration, geographical context and finally commercial activities.
  • Development of a shared database and other tools together with TCP Wind.
  • The leader of this task and work package 1 will closely together with the TCP’s Wind and Hydrogen as the main contact point and assure access and agreement concerning external publications with these TCP’s.
  • • Deliverables: Accessible overview of the research and development, Expert survey results as well as Workshop to discuss and disseminate the results.

2Subtask 2 - Digital Hybrid Plant Design
  • Organize reference designs for each technology in the hybrid wind-solar-hydrogen plant. For each technology, the aim is to get an overview of the available options, their specifications and technology-specific assumptions.
  • Expected dimensions of diversity will be climatic conditions
    (Wind/Solar), on-shore/off-shore and grid connection/storage capacity.
  • The digital tooling for designing and operating such hybrid power plant are an integrated component of the design.
  • Deliverables: Reference technology designs, description of the methodology, repository with the publicly available reference designs.

3Subtask 3 - Energy Hub Use Cases by Country
  • Design options wind-solar-hydrogen plants to perform in specific conditions and sites (hubs).
  • Diversity dimensions are expected along climatic conditions, onshore/off-shore, grid connection/storage capacity, size.
  • Deliverables: Overview design references renewable hydrogen hubs for distinct geographical site and local circumstances, including LCOH, microgrid design, legal framework, infrastructure costs.

4Subtask 4 - Bench-Mark and Best Practices, Synthesis
  • Recommended practices for wind-solar-hydrogen integration into working energy hubs world-wide.
  • Recommendations for future codes, test methods and standardization of renewable hydrogen plants for more universal adoption and comparison.
  • Deliverables; A white paper on the recommended practices for the integration of a wind-solar-hydrogen system. Workshop on design of specifications of integration, control and safety in a renewable hydrogen.

5Subtask 5 - Environmental impact & Spatial Integration
  • Quantify the environmental profile of PV and Wind combined power generation for Green Hydrogen, organized in energy hubs, in comparison to other energy technologies and configuration. A life cycle assessment (LCA) serves this purpose and describes the energy, material and emission flows in all the stages of the hybrid power plant and energy hub.
  • Investigate end of life management options for PV and Wind combined power generation for Green Hydrogen as deployment increases and older systems are decommissioned.
  • Define and address environmental health & safety and other sustainability issues that are important for market growth and include; permits, perceived environmental risks and insurance policies.
  • Deliverables: Papers on the above issues; LCA for hybrid power plants, Lifecycle management and identify possible environment impacts/hazards.

6Subtask 6 - Legal Framework & Societal Issues
  • Inventory of local circumstances and legal requirements for these hybrid energy hubs and the societal issues at hand. It will provide tools and checklists for setting such building blocks for a renewable energy system, based on best practices from different regions and configurations.
  • The overall goals are to facilitate collaboration with local stakeholders, to lower both project development costs and lead time and finally to enhance bankability.
  • Deliverables: Toolbox with check list and best practices for setting up energy hubs. Check lists and templates for the different type of contracts needed for energy hubs; stakeholders, grid operators, technology suppliers, use of assets etc.